81-year-old demonstrates fitness

SAN FRANCISCO  Watching 81-year-old Jun Fang Liu do 20 pushups on her finger tips and toes, the young missionaries' jaws dropped. "We can't do it," the missionaries, in their early 20s, admitted.

In January, Sister Liu, San Francisco Chinese Branch, San Francisco California West Stake, was invited to speak to the missionaries on the importance of being physically fit.

Sister Liu gave a whirlwind demonstration of Tai Chi and Kung Fu in front of five different groups of missionaries. From performing with weapons to physical fitness tips to showing different stretches that could be done, she held the attention of all the missionaries.

At age 5, she was already learning about Shaolin martial arts. In her teens, she was working with Tai Chi. Now, at 81 years of age, she still remains healthy and works hard to stay in shape.

Growing up in China, Sister Liu was one of the few female children who were permitted to get an education. She then became a dentist for 45 years while still practicing Kung Fu and Tai Chi.

She is the winner of many awards, including first place in a national Wushu martial arts group competition in 1996.

She emigrated from the Shandong Province of China in 1997 to be closer to her five children living in the United States and Argentina. She met missionaries not long after arriving in San Francisco.